President Buhari Broke His Promises – Inadequate Medical Provision, Corruption Still Killing Nigerians
Loading ...By Danjuma Aliyu, DENISAURUS News
Yesterday, President Muhammadu Buhari announced that he would be travelling to the U.K. to see his doctor.
But, during the 2015 elections, the 75-year-old Nigerian President promised to end “medical tourism” for government officials.
Yet in 2016, President Buhari flew into London to treat a “persistent ear” infection.
The man, who hopes to run for a second term, also spent more than a 100 days abroad treating an unspecified illness.
He returned with an apology. “As leaders, we must lead by example. I promised to end medical tourism if elected president of Nigeria,” he said.
He stated that : “Two years after, it has not happened. You do not have to go far to know that it has not happened. My absence from Nigeria for 103 days makes it evident. It is my personal failure. I own up to it, the same way I own up to all that we promised but have not accomplished.”
We still don’t really know how much the treatment cost, but we can assume it’s more thaN $ix figures.
Compounding matters is an ongoing strikes in the health sector. The Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, an association comprising all health workers in Nigeria called the strike last month.
The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, issued a statement calling on the Federal Government to do all it can to end the strike.
“We call on the government to improve the work environment and upgrade the infrastructure to meet international standards in order to reverse medical tourism,” Francis Adedayo, the association president had said.
Nigerians thought after President Buhari returned from his medical vacation, he would come and fix the decayed hospitals.
But, he has not. So, once again, he is off to treat himself outside of Nigeria. The strike in the health sector continues and thousands are being denied treatment.
While the president enjoys the privilege of travelling abroad to seek the best treatment – for himself and members of his family, thousands of Nigerians are dying because they don’t have the luxury to travel to the UK, US, India or wherever.
Imagine over 10,000 Nigerians die of cancer annually due to the lack of necessary equipment and resources.
While lambasting the Nigerian Government for its failed economic policy, Bill Gates noted that primary health care system is not adequately funded.
Mr Gate, who has invested $1.6 billion in the country said: “one in three Nigerian children is chronically malnourished.”
Worse still, in this day and age, people are dying because hospitals don’t have oxygen.
President Buhari also promised to kill corruption, tackle insecurity and deal with the issue of fuel and power shortages. He has not delivered on his promises.
Thousands of people in the north central have been killed by Fulani herdsmen and the President is yet to proscribe Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN.
Similarly, the fight against corruption failed from the very moment a corrupt man, Ibrahim Mustafa Magu was nominated to lead the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
An indicting report from the Department of State Security Services prevented Mr Magu, a perennial corrupt police officer from becoming the fourth substantive chairman of the anti-graft agency.
Despite his rejection by the Senate – the arm of government responsible for confirming nominees, Mr Magu remains in office.
Under President Buhari’s administration, Government paid over $300billion to oil marketers. Yet the price of petrol went from N87 – N145.
The President spent $462 million dollars the Excess Crude Account, ECA, without the legislative approval.
To withdraw funds from the ECA, the President is mandated to seek approval from the National Assembly and the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
“No moneys shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the Federation, other than the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation unless the issue of those moneys has been authorised by an Act of the National Assembly,” Section 80 (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution reads.
President Buhari is not only breaking his promises, he is destroying the country.
Even with all the missed chances, the President thinks he is loved and should be given an automatic ticket to return in 2019.
The President and his Vice, Yemi Osinbajo are already in campaign mood.
They are once again promising the same sort of things they offered in 2015.
They did not deliver in their first term; they would not achieve anything in their second.
Danjuma Aliyu is the Editorial Director for DENISAURUS News
